Attachment C - Staff Report - Z-TA-1-19.pdf

Staff Report 
Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment 
Z-TA-1-19
(Off-Premise Advertising within PUDs on publicly owned land used for schools) 
December 30, 2019 
Application No Z-TA-1-19: Amend Chapter 7, Section 705.2 (Off-Premise Signs) of the 
Phoenix Zoning Ordinance to allow off-premise advertising within PUDs located on 
publicly owned land used for a school. 
Staff recommendation: Staff recommends approval of Z-TA-1-19 as shown in Exhibit 
A. 
PURPOSE 
The intent of this text amendment request is to add a provision to allow off-premise signs 
on property that is located within a PUD with a minimum of 15 gross acres and located 
on publicly owned land that is used for a school and within 300 feet of a permitted 
freeway. In addition, the text amendment requests to change the setback requirement of 
an off-premise sign to a property with a residential zoning district and residential use to 
be located no closer than 250 feet. All other regulations in Section 705.2 of the Phoenix 
Zoning Ordinance would apply to off-premise signs.  
BACKGROUND 
The text amendment was submitted by representatives of Creighton Elementary School 
District and Creighton Community Foundation. The Creighton Community Foundation is 
a nonprofit organization whose primary mission is to support the Creighton School 
District and underprivileged communities within its east central Phoenix boundaries. 
This text amendment was submitted to provide opportunities for further advancing the 
vision and supporting the programs of the Creighton Community Foundation and the 
School District by providing public schools the ability to add an additional revenue 
stream by allowing off-premise signs on their properties under specific parameters. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED TEXT 
SECTION 705.2.A.2 
The proposed text amendment is proposing two key additional provisions to Section 
705.2. The first change would amend Section 705.2.A.2 to permit off-premise signs if all 
of the following are met: 

The off-premise sign must be within a PUD zoning district that is a minimum area
of 15 gross acres and located within 300 feet of a permitted freeway. Per Section
705.2.A, the permitted freeways include Interstate 17, Interstate 10, Inner SR
Loop 202, SR 143, and the West SR Loop 101 to Camelback Road.
ATTACHMENT C

Z-TA-1-19 
December 30, 2019 
Page 2 of 4 
 
 The property that the off-premise sign is located on must be publicly owned and 
used for a school (k-12 education) 
 The off-premise sign must follow all of the applicable requirements in the PUD. 
 
Section 705.2.A.5 
In addition, because many school properties are located near and within residential 
neighborhoods. The applicant seeks to reduce the spacing requirements from the off-
premise signs to property that is residentially zoned and has a residential use to 250 
feet. This would amend Section 705.2.A.5. 
 
The proposed language and changes to the ordinance text are outlined in Exhibit A. 
 
CONCLUSION 
The proposed text amendment addresses off-premise sign provisions that are unique to 
public school properties of 15 acres that are zoned PUD and within 300 feet of a 
permitted freeway. The proposed text will provide updated zoning regulations to provide 
public schools along a freeway an additional revenue stream from off-premise signs on 
their property to help fund critical school programs. Staff recommends approval of the 
change to the Zoning Ordinance as proposed in Exhibit A. 
 
Writer 
H. Bleam 
12/30/19 
 
Team Leader 
Tricia Gomes 
 
Exhibit 
A. Proposed Language

Z-TA-1-19 
December 30, 2019 
Page 3 of 4 
 
EXHIBIT A 
Text Amendment Z-TA-1-19: Off-premise advertising within PUDs located on 
publicly owned land used for school 
 
Proposed Language: 
 
Amend Section 705.2.A.2 (Off-Premise Signs) to read as follows:
2. 
Off-premise ADVERTISING structures may also be located in a Planned Unit 
Development (PUD) when oriented and within 300 feet of a freeway as identified 
in Section 705.2.A.1. Off-premise advertising structures located in a PUD must 
comply with all standards in Section 705.2 and the GROSS AREA OF THE PUD 
must have a minimum of 20 acres. AN OFF-PREMISE ADVERTISING 
STRUCTURE MAY BE LOCATED WITHIN A PUD WITH A GROSS AREA OF 
LESS THAN 20 ACRES IF ALL THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE MET:
 
A. THE OFF-PREMISE ADVERTISING STRUCTURE IS LOCATED ON 
PUBLICLY OWNED LAND THAT IS USED FOR A SCHOOL FOR K-12 
EDUCATION; AND,
 
B. LOCATED WITHIN A PUD THAT HAS A MINIMUM GROSS AREA OF 15 
ACRES; AND,
 
C. ALL OTHER REQUIREMENTS FOR OFF-PREMISE ADVERTISING 
STRUCTURES IN THE PUD ARE MET.
***
 
Amend Section 705.2.A.5 (Off-Premise Signs) to read as follows:
5. 
With the exception of residential uses within a planned unit development (PUD) 
Except as follows below, no part of any off-premise ADVERTISING structure may 
be located closer than 500 feet from a residential district and residential use. A 
vacant residentially zoned lot shall be treated as a residential use. This setback 
may be reduced subject to obtaining a use permit pursuant to Section 307 and a 
demonstration that there are visual or physical barriers that mitigate the impacts 
of the proposed off-premise advertising structure to the residential use.
 
A. FOR RESIDENTIAL USES WITHIN A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT 
(PUD) BOUNDARY, NO SETBACK FROM AN OFF-PREMISE 
ADVERTISING STRUCTURE IS REQUIRED WITHIN THE PUD 
BOUNDARY.

Z-TA-1-19 
December 30, 2019 
Page 4 of 4 
 
 
B. FOR AN OFF-PREMISE ADVERTISING STRUCTURE THAT IS 
LOCATED ON PUBLICLY OWNED LAND THAT IS USED FOR A 
SCHOOL FOR K-12 EDUCATION WITHIN THE BOUNDARY OF A PUD, 
NO PART OF ANY OFF-PREMISE ADVERTISING STRUCTURE MAY BE 
LOCATED CLOSER THAN 250 FEET FROM A RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT 
AND RESIDENTIAL USE OUTSIDE OF THE PUD BOUNDARY.
 
C. THIS SETBACK MAY BE REDUCED SUBJECT TO OBTAINING A USE 
PERMIT PURSUANT TO SECTION 307 AND A DEMONSTRATION THAT 
THERE ARE VISUAL OR PHYSICAL BARRIERS THAT MITIGATE THE 
IMPACTS OF THE PROPOSED OFF-PREMISE ADVERTISING 
STRUCTURE TO THE RESIDENTIAL USE.
***